May 19, 2013
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After watching this week’s interview with
Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner,
you’ll probably be wondering what you can do to protect yourself and
your family from toxic chemicals. Perhaps the most important thing you
can do is become politically involved – join the fight against both
chemicals in our environment and
money in our political system.
In today’s world, it’s virtually impossible to avoid dangerous
chemicals, even in your own home, but here are a few simple steps you
can take to limit your exposure to known toxins like lead, flame
retardants and BPA.
Lead
If you think
that lead poisoning is a problem of the past, or one that only affects
the urban poor, think again. While it’s true that lead paint has been
illegal since the 70s and leaded gasoline was phased out in the 80s, the
highly toxic substance still lurks in old homes, parking lots, water
pipes, and in products imported from countries that don’t have the same
regulations. And while lead poisoning no longer the killer it once was,
miniscule amounts of lead can cause neurological damage and behavioral
problems in children. According to the CDC, there are currently half a
million children with elevated levels of lead in their blood. Here’s
what you can do to protect your family from lead poisoning:
1) Find out if there’s lead in your water. A good place to start is with your local government. website. At
NYC.gov,
for example, you can order a free testing kit. You can also try
contacting your local water company, your landlord or a private lab. You
may also want to install an
NSF-certified water filter on
your water tap. Though the EPA has mandated that water systems be
tested for lead since 1991, your home’s own internal plumbing could
still contain lead, particularly if you live in an older building.
2) Replace
old windows. Though lead paint has been illegal since 1978 and has
largely been removed from old buildings, in some cases, it was seen as
too costly to replace the windows. To have your windows replaced (or to
do any sort of renovation on a building that may still contain lead
paint), contact an
EPA-certified renovator who has been trained to follow lead safety practices. In some cases, your local government may cover the costs.
3) Throw out colorfully-painted toys that were made outside the U.S. or Europe. They may look innocent, but
toys, crayons, ceramic and jewelry,
particularly those manufactured in China or Mexico, may contain lead,
and as any parent knows, children are likely to put these things in
their mouths.
4) Dust or vacuum regularly. Even without
any obvious source of lead in your home, there may still be lead in the
air, particularly if you live in an industrial area or if a neighbor has
been renovating an old home. Dust particles containing lead are
especially dangerous to babies who crawl around on the floor. It’s also
important to keep toys and hands clean.
5) Test the soil.
Urban and suburban yards can still contain contaminants from the days
when lead paint and gasoline were widespread. Before planting a garden
or even letting your kids run around in the yard, make sure the soil is
lead-free. Your local public health department may offer free testing;
you can also contact a private or university-run lab.
Flame Retardants
The hazards of flame retardants have been known for some time —
brominated tris was banned from children’s pajamas back
in 1977. And yet, similar chemicals can still be found in everything
from couch cushions to television sets. Studies have linked one group of
flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, to lower
IQs, behavioral problems, early puberty and fertility issues. And the
fire-safety benefits of these chemicals are debatable. Here’s what you can to keep toxic flame retardants out of your home:
1) Check
the labels on your furniture. The California Furniture Flammability
Standard essentially requires that cushioned furniture, children’s car
seats, diaper-changing tables and other products containing polyurethane
foam are dipped in toxic chemicals. (Don’t breathe a sigh of relief
just because you live in one of the other 49 states — because of
California’s size, most mass-produced furniture is designed to meet
California’s standard). Check the tags for the familiar notice: This
article meets the flammability requirements of California Bureau of Home
Furnishings Technical Bulletin 117. (The tag is not required though, so
just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s safe.) Fortunately,
California has proposed
changing the rule;
until that happens, you can look for products made with wool, cotton or
polyester filling instead of polyurethane foam. And if you can’t afford
all new eco-friendly furniture, be sure to dust, vacuum and wash your
hands regularly — most of the toxins enter the body by swallowing
contaminated dust.
2) Check the labels on electronics,
too. Flame retardants have long been used in electronic equipment like
computers and television sets. Thankfully, that’s slowly changing. As of
2008, the
following companies had
committed to phasing out all brominated flame retardants: Acer, Apple,
Eizo Nanao, LG Electronics, Lenovo, Matsushita, Microsoft, Nokia,
Phillips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony-Ericsson, and Toshiba. To find flame
retardant-free versions of everything from refrigerators to nose-hair
clippers, check
this list created by ChemSec, an environmental non-profit based in Sweden.
3) Beware
of fleece pajamas. Though one flame retardant, brominated tris, was
banned from children’s pajamas, some sleepwear is still treated with
another flame retardant called PROBAN which has been linked to genetic
abnormalities and cancer. Check the label — children’s pajamas that DO
NOT contain flame retardants must have a tag that reads: “
For child’s safety, garment should fit snugly”
(the snug fit limits the flow of oxygen in order to prevent fire from
spreading, an approved alternative to chemical flame retardants). Cotton
and polyester products rarely contain flame retardants, but look out
for those cozy fleece footed pajamas — they usually do.
BPA
Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been linked to
cancer,
asthma,
obesity and reproductive issues. And yet, until recently, the chemical
was found in, among other things, baby bottles. The FDA finally
banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and
children’s sippy cups in 2012 — three years after major manufacturers
had voluntarily stopped using it. But BPA is still found in other hard
plastic containers, the lining of metal cans and the paper that receipts
are printed on. It’s difficult to completely avoid BPA — 90 percent of
Americans have traces of the chemical in their urine. But here are some
things you can do to limit your exposure:
1) When
purchasing plastic products — particularly those that come into contact
with your food, such as food storage containers, plastic plates and
cups, look for those that are clearly marked BPA free. Thanks to vocal
consumers, many companies are now manufacturing BPA-free products and
marketing them as such.
2) Avoid food containers marked with
recycling codes 3 or 7,
which may be made with BPA. If your food does come in a container
marked 3 or 7, don’t microwave it in that container – chemicals are more
likely to leak into your food at high temperatures.
3) Limit your consumption of canned foods, or look for cans marked
BPA free — they are rare, but do exist. Eden Organic cans have been BPA free since 1999.
4) BPA is often used in the
thermal paper that
receipts are printed on. Since it’s impossible to know whether or the
receipt you’re being handed has contains BPA, don’t take receipts that
you don’t need. If you operate a business that uses receipts, switch to a
BPA-free paper manufacturer, such as Appleton Paper, which went
BPA-free in 2006.
Lauren Feeney is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and multimedia journalist.
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